30 Foot Backyard Beauty ~ Century Plant
July 22, 2008 – 12:30 am | by Crystal
| Posted in » Century Plant ~ Agave
June 2, 2008 – 1:25 am | by Crystal
This is an Agave plant, better known as a Century Plant…this is 25 feet tall and getting ready to bloom.
It has been 14 years ago since we planted a 1 inch high succulent, in our backyard. Now this sharp-edged thick leafed succulent is taller then me, and blooming! I’m 5′9.
The century plant has sparked my interest. Grown and harvested for Agave Nectar, this succulent can produce up to 6 quarts a day. Agave Nectar is edible and comparable to honey and maple syrup as far as sweetness goes.
Once the plant comes into full bloom, (yellow feathery-like flowers) the height will be close to 30 feet. Then it will die, the whole plant and blooming tree. It does produce babies through the years, therefore the loss isn’t as traumatic.
Blue Heron at Lake Okeechobee, Florida
May 26, 2008 – 10:17 pm | by Crystal
Florida Hiking
February 19, 2008 – 7:08 pm | by CrystalThe weekend of March 28-30 is the first-ever Florida Hiking Festival! Held as a part of the Florida Trail Association Annual Conference, the festival features guided hikes along the beautiful Suwannee River, tours of historic White Springs - a favorite trail town and our first Florida Trail Gateway Community - and the kickoff of a nationwide celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the National Trails System Act, founding our country’s National Scenic and Historic Trail Systems. Learn more about trails around the country, and to enjoy the best North Florida has to offer … in White Springs!
Florida Vacation Home Rentals
December 5, 2007 – 11:07 pm | by CrystalWith sunny weather, beautiful beaches and so many vacation homes, Florida remains the winter destination for many Florida vacation rental guests, hands down. With the Atlantic Coast on one side and the Gulf shores on the other, visitors have twice as many beach front Florida vacation rentals to choose from! Check out vacationhomerentals.com.
Florida’s Best Beaches
November 29, 2007 – 6:19 pm | by CrystalVisitFlorida.com is a favorite website of mine to find travel industry news for Florida. At the VisitFlorida.com website, you can customize your destinations and they will do all the searching for you. Whether you are looking for business travel news or wanting to find that special romantic spot for you and your partner.
The St. Pete and Clearwater area is one destination that offers the best of both romantic worlds all in one place. Fort DeSoto Park was voted the #1 beach in America in 2005 by Dr. Beach.
In 2007 Three out of Ten Best Beaches are in Florida:
#2. Caladesi Island State Park, Clearwater, Florida
#9. Lighthouse Point Park, Daytona Beach, Florida
#10. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Florida
DrBeach.org has the listing for the other best beaches in America with other travel industry news.
Florida Vacationers’ Prayer
November 22, 2007 – 11:20 am | by CrystalFlorida Vacationers’ Prayer
Bless our Florida vacation, oh Lord we pray,
Please keep us safe every day.
Bless the weather, the clouds, the sun,
May the rain not keep us from fun.
Bless the lines in traffic we’ll wait,
May we always behave like a saint.
Help us especially to try not to fuss,
When so many are in line ahead of us.
Bless our wallet, our credit cards too,
May we have enough money to visit the zoo.
Florida is such a great destination, Lord,
Please make it one THAT WE CAN AFFORD!
-Dawn Henthorn
Turkey Rod Run ~ November 21-25, 2007
November 5, 2007 – 11:31 pm | by CrystalNovember 21–November 25, 2007
This classic automobile swap meet and sale is held annually at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona, Florida. Turkey Run features more than 5,000 special interest vehicles including street machines, customs, street rods, classics, sports cars, muscle cars, race cars and trucks.
Admission Fee: $15 Thurs., Fri. & Sat.; $10 Sun. Children (under 11) free.
This event was known as the “Turkey Rod Run” until 1995 when the name was simplified to “Turkey Run,” reflecting eligibility of show vehicles newer than 1948. The show was started by members of the Daytona Beach Street Rods on Thanksgiving Weekend in 1974. The same members who started the Turkey Run in the mid-’70’s still serve as event coordinators to ensure it is enjoyable each year. They are proud to present in conjunction with the Daytona Racing District, the Annual Daytona Turkey Run, Thanksgiving Weekend, Thursday through Sunday.
Trip Advisor
October 31, 2007 – 9:44 pm | by CrystalTripAdvisor.com has a theme…get the truth than go! I have found TripAdvisor a helpful travel site to find the best hotels and motels or just find out what to do at the destination of your trip. Hotels are given reviews, which is nice.
Whether you check out their forum or just use their hotel finder with a review of the best to worst hotels and motels. Once you find the hotel you would like to stay in, up pops check rates. This gives the prices from Expedia, hotels.com, Bookit.com, Orbitz, WhataHotel.com and PerfectEscapes.com, all at the same time.
I enjoy using the forum. Let’s say you want to travel to St. Augustine, Florida, type in your destination and people that have posted will fill you in on vacation hot spots, in St. Augustine. I especially like to read what the Local Expert says. This is one way I find out the best hotels and restaurants in the town when I am traveling through, ask a local. Of course they will know what is the best restaurants or tourists sites to visit.
TripAdvisor must be helpful, today on the top of their website they mention helping 17,361,025 travelers plan their trip this week. I wish I were one of them.
Florida Folk Festival ~ November 9 - November 11, 2007
October 19, 2007 – 6:54 pm | by CrystalThe Florida Folk Festival was cancelled in May due to the fires that were near Stephen Foster State Park. The festival has been rescheduled for November 9- November 11, 2007.
As one of the oldest folk festivals in America, the event now brings 30,000 concert goers to the festival each year to hear more than 200 music shows a day on multiple stages.
For three full days and nights the Suwannee River is filled with Florida’s music, and stories presenting the history of Florida’s many cultures. Over 600 of Florida’s folk and roots artists from little towns and large cities through out the Sunshine State gather in the hamlet of White Springs to celebrate Florida’s land and it’s people.